Search Weight Loss Topics:

Home » Exercise Programs » Georgia Southern researchers work with Georgia Public Safety Training Center to revise training standards for state public safety officials | Newsroom…

Home > Press Releases > Georgia Southern researchers work with Georgia Public Safety Training Center to revise training standards for state public safety officials

July 6, 2022

Researchers in Georgia Southern Universitys Tactical Athlete Readiness and Preparedness Program (TARP) have teamed up with the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) to ensure the readiness and resilience of Georgias public safety officials.

Members of the TARP in the Waters College of Health Professions have worked to revise the fitness training standards for Georgias police cadets with a focus on functional fitness, mental resilience and injury prevention.

In addition, the program has formed a partnership with the GPSTC, Georgias premier training facility for all state and local public safety related units to include police, fire and communication.

Bridget Melton, Ed.D., professor of exercise science and lead faculty member of TARP, said that due to high stress and health concerns, some police and public safety officials are at high risk for cardiovascular disease or other fatal illnesses.

Our program provides state academies with fitness exercises that increase overall cadet fitness and focuses on injury prevention, said Melton. Our program focuses on occupational focused fitness to hopefully encourage a more positive view of exercise that will stick with cadets even after their academy training is done.

Richard Cleveland, Ed.D., associate professor of leadership, technology and human development, heads resilience and mental health for the TARP team, and has created a Mindfulness-Based Tactical Instruction curriculum for the state of Georgia.

Tactical athletes need training and support for resilience and mental health, but too often its only presented as a one-time workshop or seminar, said Cleveland. Our program dovetails into the states resilience curriculum for officers, but provides bite-sized mindfulness practices within the fitness program. This gives cadets repeated practice at using mindfulness and embeds it within their context using police language, actions and behaviors.

The partnership was made possible due to a subgrant GPSTC was awarded from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to fund TARP at their facilities due to the programs comprehensive view of officer wellness, which is aimed at improving de-escalation skills among recruits through mental and physical training.

We are pleased to form a partnership with the GPSTC and the Tactical Athlete Readiness and Preparedness Program, stated Chris Wigginton, director of GPSTC. This partnership will allow public safety professionals to be better prepared in their personal and professional lives. Some of the many benefits will be a reduction in injuries, being better prepared to use needed skills in rapidly evolving situations, and the resiliency and mental health component. As word has gotten out of the possibility of the GPSTC implementing this program we have already been contacted by several states regarding the initiative.

Additionally, graduate students in the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology participate in the program and gain firsthand and practical experience by performing training and assessment for state instructors.

TARP is part of Georgia Southerns Tactical Athlete Initiative, which aims to reduce the number of injuries and increase readiness and preparedness of tactical athletes. The interdisciplinary team consists of the following Georgia Southern faculty members:

Bridget Melton, Ed.D., Professor

Richard Cleveland, Ed.D., Associate Professor

Greg Grosicki, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Haresh Rochani, DrPH, Associate Professor

Mary Beth Yarbrough, Lecturer

Sarah Davis, Lecturer

TARP is just one example of the work coming from Georgia Southern Universitys Tactical Athlete Initiative. The Tactical Athlete Initiative is a multi-discipline collaboration providing research, training and support for military, police, fire, and EMS workers. The Tactical Athlete Initiative has partnered with multiple agencies including the Statesboro Police Department, Statesboro Fire Department, Bulloch County Sheriffs Office, Forsyth County Sheriffs Office, Waycross Fire Department, Georgia Public Safety Training Centers, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and the United States Army.

More:
Georgia Southern researchers work with Georgia Public Safety Training Center to revise training standards for state public safety officials | Newsroom...

Your Full Name
Your Email
Your Phone Number
Select your age (30+ only)	30313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
Select Your US State	Select Your StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington,DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Program Choice	Select Your ProgramInjectable HGHInjectable TestoteroneInjectable SermorelinInjectable Weight LossInjectable HCG DietInjectable Vitamins
Confirm over 30 years old	Yes
Confirm that you resident in USA	Yes
This is a Serious Inquiry	Yes
Message:

Home » Exercise Programs » Georgia Southern researchers work with Georgia Public Safety Training Center to revise training standards for state public safety officials | Newsroom…